Note: All solid-state high repetitive sub-nanosecond risetime pulse generator based on bulk gallium arsenide...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Physics

Background:

• High-speed pulse generation is crucial for various applications, including advanced electronics and scientific research.
• Existing pulse generators often face limitations in risetime, repetition rate, or energy efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an all solid-state pulse generator with sub-nanosecond risetime and high repetition rate.
• To utilize low-energy triggered bulk gallium arsenide (GaAs) avalanche semiconductor switches for efficient pulse generation.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage step-type transmission line charged to 5.0 kV was employed.
• Bulk GaAs avalanche semiconductor switches were triggered using approximately 87 nJ of laser energy at 905 nm.
• A repetition-rate multiplication technique was used for sequential triggering of parallel-connected switches.

Main Results:

• An asymmetric dipolar pulse with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 9.6 kV and a risetime of 0.65 ns was generated across a 50 Ω load.
• The generator achieved an operating repetition rate of 100 kHz.
• The study demonstrated sequential triggering of parallel-connected GaAs switches for pulse train multiplication.

Conclusions:

• The developed pulse generator offers efficient, high-speed pulse generation using solid-state GaAs technology.
• The repetition rate is primarily limited by the recovery time of the GaAs avalanche semiconductor switches.
• This technology holds potential for applications requiring high-repetition-rate, sub-nanosecond pulses.